This invention relates in general to connections made for circuitry for digital imaging equipment, and in particular to establishing electrical contact between a lens and one or more electrodes on a circuit board.
Modern digital cameras may include a lens barrel including various parts that enable operation of the camera. Among the parts included in such lens barrels are lenses, which may be liquid lenses, and Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs). A proper connection between the FPC and the liquid lens is needed to enable image data to be properly acquired. When the FPC and the lens are optimally located in relation to one another, electrical connectivity is generally successfully achieved.
However, in practice, the connection between the FPC and the liquid lens is susceptible to various problems. A positioning error of either the FPC or the liquid lens and/or any misalignment of the parts may cause a short circuit between one electrode on the liquid lens and another on the FPC. Alternatively, positioning or alignment error may disrupt conductive electrical contact between corresponding electrodes, thereby inhibiting proper operation of the camera.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved system and method for connecting an FPC to a lens within an optical assembly, such as a digital camera assembly.